Las Vegas shooting: Gunman behind worst shooting in US history killed himself as police burst into room

The suspected gunman in a Las Vegas shooting that saw more than 50 people killed is thought to have killed himself before police Swat team officers breached the room he was in.

Some 22,000 people were in the crowd when the man - identified as Stephen Paddock - opened fire, sending panicked people fleeing the scene, in some cases trampling one another, as law enforcement officers scrambled to locate and kill the gunman. Shocked concertgoers, some with blood on their clothes, wandered the streets after the attack.

Paddock opened fire from his hotel room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel on Sunday evening at approximately 10:08pm The victims were across the street attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert when bullets rang out. LVMPD SWAT responded to the call, breached the hotel room and found the suspect dead, police said in a statement.

At least 406 people were taken to area hospitals with injuries, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said.

Follow the latest updates in our live blog

Paddock was not believed to be connected to any militant group, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters.

“We have no idea what his belief system was,” Mr Lombardo said. “We've located numerous firearms within the room that he occupied.”

Swat teams quickly descended on the concert and the casino after the attack started, and officers used explosives to get into the hotel room where the suspect was inside, authorities said.

“What we are going to try to do as best we can is to get our first responders back on their feet and responding and conducting a proper investigation to ensure that we have the safety of this community at heart,” Sheriff Lombardo said.

Country music star Jason Aldean was performing Sunday night at the end of the three-day Route 91 Harvest Festival in front of a crowd of 22,000 when the gunman opened fire from inside the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.

Aldean was in the middle of a song when the shots came rapidly: Pop-pop-pop-pop. Video of the shooting then showed Aldean stopping and the crowd getting quiet as if it were unsure of what had just happened.

The gunman paused and then fired another volley, the muzzle flashes visible from the casino, as more victims fell to the ground while others fled in panic. Some hid behind concession stands, while others crawled under parked cars.

In addition to Paddock, police said they located a woman who may have been his roommate — Marilou Danley, 62. Lombardo said they believe this was a “lone wolf” attack.

“It's a devastating time,” Sheriff Lombardo said.

President Donald Trump has extended condolences to the victims of the shooting in Las Vegas and their families.

In a tweet, Mr Trump offered “My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!”

The White House said Mr Trump was expected to make remarks Monday morning, though details were not finalised.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump was “briefed on the horrific tragedy in Las Vegas.”

Ms Sanders said that “we are monitoring the situation closely and offer our full support to state and local officials. All of those affected are in our thoughts and prayers."​

Agencies contributed to this report